Team Penske took to the track at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill. on Friday in preparation for Saturday night’s race. First practice helped the drivers warm up their engines and prepare for an exciting qualifying session. Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 PPG Dallara/Chevrolet were the final car to qualify and came out victorious winning the pole with a total time of 48.2554 seconds and a speed of 186.508 mph. Will Power and the No. 12 Verizon Dallara/Chevrolet also had a strong run qualifying third running 185.896 mph with a total time of 48.4142 seconds. Simon Pagenaud and the No. 22 Menards Dallara/Chevrolet had a strong qualifying effort as well finding themselves starting fourth tomorrow with a total lap time of 48.6110 seconds and a speed of 185.143 mph. Final practice saw Team Penske’s three Chevrolets finding speed with Newgarden being the fastest finishing the session running second. However, due to an engine misfire with 20 minutes remaining in the session, the team had to park his Chevrolet in his pit to work on the engine. Due to a caution with a little more than five minutes remaining, the team was not able to rejoin the rest of the field as there was not enough time to clear the track to allow cars to run in the allotted time. Pagenaud finished the session in the seventh position with 24.9216 seconds lap time. Power rounded out the Team Penske Chevrolets finishing the session in the 19th spot with a time of 25.1688 seconds. The three teams will work on their Chevrolets overnight to prepare for Saturday evening’s night race.

Coverage:

The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 begins tomorrow at 8:00 pm EDT on the NBC Sports Network and the NBC Sports app. Coverage can also be heard on the INDYCAR Radio Network and on Sirius XM Channel 209.

Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 500 major race wins, over 600 pole positions and 34 Championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 53-year history, the team has also earned 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, two Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win and overall victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. For 2019, Team Penske will compete in the NTT IndyCar Series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team also races in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, in a partnership with Dick Johnson Racing, as DJR Team Penske.